There's a reason Biden left the presidential seal off his withdrawal letter | Fact check

Chris Mueller, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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The claim: Post implies lack of presidential seal on Biden's withdrawal letter is suspicious

A July 21 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a post on X, formerly Twitter, from President Joe Biden with the letter announcing his decision to withdraw from the presidential race.

"Where’s the Presidential Seal?" reads the caption of the Facebook post.

Some commenters saw the lack of a seal on Biden's letter as proof there was more to the situation than meets the eye.

"He was never the real president! That's why no seal!" reads one comment.

"His signature is different and no seal. Who really knows what is going on!" reads another.

The post was shared more than 600 times in two days. A similar X post was reposted more than 200 times in two days.

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Our rating: Missing context

The implied claim is wrong. There is nothing unusual about the presidential seal not appearing on Biden's withdrawal letter. It has been consistently left off letters and other material released by his campaign, as was the case here.

Biden hasn't used presidential seal on campaign letters

In a letter posted on social media, Biden announced July 21 that he was ending his re-election bid. His decision followed weeks of pressure from high-profile Democrats who, in the wake of a widely panned debate performance, worried he would struggle to beat former President Donald Trump.

Biden's letter does not include the presidential seal, but that's not at all unusual. It was posted to his campaign's social media accounts, not his presidential accounts. The lack of seal is consistent with other letters released by Biden's campaign, including one earlier in July. The seal has repeatedly appeared on letters and other statements posted to his presidential accounts.

U.S. President Joe Biden disembarks Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., July 23, 2024. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno
U.S. President Joe Biden disembarks Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., July 23, 2024. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno

Michael Traugott, a political expert and professor emeritus at the University of Michigan, explained that the absence of a seal on Biden's letter likely had to do with the Hatch Act, which bans federal employees from using their position to engage in partisan political activity.

"The Biden people interpreted this announcement as a campaign-related event," he said. "According to the Hatch Act, the accouterments of the White House can't be used, including the presidential seal."

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While the president and vice president are exempt, several members of Biden's administration have been accused of violating the Hatch Act, including White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain.

"In recent campaigns, people in the White House have faced charges of violating the act, so I think Biden was being extra cautious," Traugott said.

A federal watchdog's investigation found multiple high-level officials in former President Donald Trump's administration violated the Hatch Act, including during the 2020 Republican National Convention.

In 1972, then-President Richard Nixon signed an executive order regulating the use of the presidential seal. It lists a variety of permitted uses for the seal, including use by the president, but it doesn't mention political campaigns.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Lead Stories also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Missing seal on Biden withdrawal letter isn't suspicious | Fact check

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